Praxis Medicinae Theorica et Empirica
Venice: Societas Veneta, 1602.
Praxis Medicinae Theorica et Empirica, printed in Venice in 1602, is an early modern medical treatise by the physician Gualterus (Walter) Bruela. Written in Latin for a scholarly medical audience, the work combines theoretical medical understanding with practical therapeutic guidance. Like many medical texts of the period, it reflects the continued influence of Galenic medicine and Renaissance clinical practice, outlining diagnostic methods and treatments for a variety of illnesses affecting different parts of the body.
The text contains discussions of numerous diseases and their remedies, including neurological and febrile conditions such as cephalalgia and phrenitis, as well as detailed instructions on prognosis and treatment. Works of this type served as practical manuals for physicians and students during a period when European medicine was transitioning from medieval scholastic traditions toward more systematic clinical observation. Venetian medical publications were widely distributed across Europe, making the city one of the most important centers of medical printing in the early seventeenth century.
Condition & Binding: Early limp vellum binding with manuscript title written along the spine (“Praxis Med… Gualt. Bruel.”). The vellum covers show heavy age toning, staining, and notable wear consistent with early seventeenth-century use. The vellum cover/binding is fully detached from the text block, though present. Edges exhibit losses and creasing, and the vellum has darkened and soiled over time. Internally the text block remains generally sound, with moderate age toning, scattered foxing, and occasional stains throughout. Early manuscript annotations and shelf markings appear on the front endpaper. Despite the detached binding and wear to the vellum covers, the text remains complete and readable. Overall- poor to fair. Item #840
Price: $750.00